How to Get Back to a Natural Shade

In the past few seasons we saw the emergence of strong unnatural colors, from neons to cool blues to pink pastels. While these shades are still popular we are starting to see a trend to more natural solid tones. So now what do you do? Getting back to a natural shade can be challenging, especially without causing damage. Click the notes for tips on how to get back to nature. –– Kelly Rowe

Remove as much as you can at home. Take this sentence lightly. Do not go and try to bleach your own hair. Buy a clarifying shampoo and start to use it every time you cleanse your hair. These shampoos were not made to maintain color so they will help start the fading process. Add a ¼ teaspoon of baking soda once a week for ultra deep cleansing.

Take it in stages. Don’t expect to get it all out in one shot. If that’s what you were hoping for you will end up with damaged strands. If you are currently a deep violet work on getting to a lavender then a blonde or light brown shade. After this you can tint to the color you are wishing to end up with.

Be careful with covering it up. To get the best result you should remove the unnatural shade before re-toning. Sometimes trying to cover leaves you with a mud-toned hue.

By Kelly Rowe. Kelly Rowe is a professional hair stylist in NYC and a regular contributer to Style Noted.